Page 56 of Dragon Detective

“Like when I’m painting a ceiling?” My laugh burst out. “They’re not my most comfortable or safest footwear.”

“Maybe on special occasions?”

Like this one. “Agreed.”

He lifted me into his arms and strode across the rocks, more sure-footed than me, stopping only to key in the code on the touchpad beside the metal door. It screeched open at his push, and he stepped inside, shutting and locking it behind him. Metal stairs rose ahead, spiraling around the outside of the building, and moonlight shone in from a window a flight above.

“The place is wired for electricity, and it runs on the solar power I had installed with a battery to store it, but I can see well. I’ll turn the lights on if you’d like.”

“No lights needed. Take me to your nest.” My heart thudded heavily with anticipation. This was it. We’d be together, and I’d know what it was like to join with a fated mate. Would thunder boom overhead or only in our hearts?

“Right this way, sweetheart,” he drawled, climbing up the stairs.

Around and around we went, each step taking us farther inside the structure. I was eager to explore it in the morning, but tonight was for us.

About halfway up, we came to another metal door, and he swept it open, revealing a big open room.

He lowered me to my feet and turned me to face him, cupping my cheeks and giving me a lingering kiss that made fire blaze through me. “Give me a moment, would you?”

“Of course.”

He left me by the door and strode about the room, lighting one candle after another. Their flickering amber light slowly grew, revealing a large bed on one side, four windows that must look out at the sea in all directions, plus . . .

“Chests?” I asked, not sure I was seeing this right.

“My hoard.” A touch of hesitation came through in his voice. “Most dragon shifters keep theirs in locked rooms, but mine’s secure enough out here. Only I have access, I’ve installed alarms, and short of a tsunami destroying the building, the odds of which are pretty much zero, nothing and no one will touch my collection.”

“You keep all your wealth here?”

“Oh, no, not at all. Most of my money’s secure in banks, but dragons do like their shiny things.”

His smile was so sweet and boyish, I couldn’t resist striding over to join him at the foot of the bed, facing the closed chests that could’ve stepped out of a pirate adventure movie.

“What’s inside?”

“Go see.” His warm hand on my spine urged me forward, though he walked with me, remaining a bit behind me when I bent down in front of one of the chests.

“Is there a key?” I asked.

“They’re not locked.”

“You really are trusting,” I said with a low laugh. Five closed chests about half my size marched across this part of the room.

“Good security. And it’s my hoard. A dragon knows when someone’s touching it.”

Hmm. “You’ll feel it when I touch your things?”

“Like a caress of your hand on my spine. The feel of your tongue on my . . .” He coughed. “Anyway. Only a dragon’s mate is allowed to touch anything he hoards.”

“You’re suggesting you hoard your cock?”

He joined me in front of the chest. “I’m not giving it to anyone but you.”

I paused. “You’re a virgin?”

He shook his head. “Not quite, though it’s been a long time. You should know that I picked this location to move to because I could sense you were in this area.”

“Some might consider that creepy.”

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